Blu-Ray Review: The Woman in Black
Ghost stories have captivated and enthralled children and adults alike from time immemorial. Each society has their own myths and legends, which are in a way themselves a reflection of a shared history. Whilst television and cinema have come on leaps and bounds when it comes to special effects and digital wizardry, they’re nothing without …
Blu-Ray Review: Flash Gordon (40th Anniversary Edition)
Cinema today is full of comic book movies, but that hasn’t always been the case. We’ve become so accustomed to seeing Marvel, or dare I say it DC, films on the big screen that it’s easy to forget that this hasn’t always been the case. Before these studios became such huge box office draws, superhero …
Film Review: La Llorona
It’s easy when you sit in a place of privilege to look at horror as simply being the unknown and unexplained. Whether that’s vampires, spectres and other spooks of the night or something not quite of this Earth. All too often, the things that cause the most terror in us are much closer to home. …
Film Review: Perfect 10
Coming-of-age, or merely films about growing up, are often incredibly tricky to pull off. Firstly, you need a script which is authentic, unique and avoids the obvious tropes and pitfalls of the genre. Most importantly, you need a young star who is both believable in the role and preferably not in their mid to late …
Blu-Ray Review: Toto the Hero
When it comes to the powerhouses of global film-making Belgium would not be at the forefront of anyone’s mind. Indeed, I would guess that most people would struggle to name half a dozen films which hail from the low county. Outside of the more recent work of the Dardenne Brothers, you’d be struggling to find …
Film Review: Around the Sun
Do you ever run the same encounter over and over again in your head? Even if it hasn’t actually happened yet? As humans, we’re often incredibly skilled at overthinking every situation. Playing out each possible scenario in our heads, running through every possible permutation; trying to vouchsafe every eventuality or outcome. If you could live …
Film Review: The Vigil
There are strong links between religion, the supernatural and the occult. As human beings we seem to be fascinated by the unknown. Our genetic make-up seems to make us long for something else. A higher or outside power. This superstition or belief works so well in horror. Most obviously in a film such as The …
Film Review: Make-Up
Today, us Brits seem to have a love/hate relationship with our traditional seaside resorts. With the elemental power of the sea and beautiful coastal walks comes the faded and crumbling glamour of the glory days and the sound of deserted arcades. Cheap airfares and package holidays marked a steep decline in their popularity. Leaving in …
Film Review: Proxima
Whilst Eva Green proves to be consistently popular with viewers, she doesn’t always get the credit she deserves for her acting ability. The French actor is an equally at home in English as French, best known for her eye-catching performances in Penny Dreadful, as Versper Lynd in Casino Royal or hamming it up in a …
Film Review: In Search of Darkness
We’re currently living in a rare period for genre cinema. Suddenly, it has moved into the mainstream and filling multiplexes around the globe. Films like Get Out, It Follows, Midsommar, Us and Hereditary have proved to be critically and commercially successful; becoming almost instant cult classics. However, the golden age for horror films was undoubtedly …